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27 Feb 2004 | Australia braces for pig war with EU
Australia is set to go to war with the European Union over its pork subsidies. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2004 | ABB chief talks up merger
ABB Grain chairman Trevor Day told shareholders at yesterday's AGM that the prospect of a merger with AusBulk is "attractive", provided it's done "prudently and methodically". ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2004 | Drought's over, now for a plague of locusts
The first good pasture in more than two years in northwestern New South Wales is under threat from a locust plague. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2004 | Last tobacco contract filled in Qld
The tobacco industry has officially gone from North Queensland: the last sale went out last week. ...... FULL STORY
27 Feb 2004 | Banana growers are bent on a fight
The Australian Banana Growers' Council will ask growers to voluntarily contribute five cents from every 13kg carton of bananas sold for about $10. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2004 | Trip to the grocer a test of patriotism
Shopping for fruit and vegetables will become a test of patriotism now that New Zealand apples and Philippine bananas are available. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2004 | Wine buffs will have to stock up
New statistics show that the 2003 vintage was the smallest in six years. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2004 | Forced NSW council mergers claim more scalps
Four northern New South Wales councils have been merged into one: ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2004 | Fertiliser prices set to jump
The retail price of ammonium phosphate fertilisers DAP and MAP will rise by $20-$40 a tonne within a few weeks. ...... FULL STORY
26 Feb 2004 | Pakistan rejects Australian wheat
Pakistan has rejected two shiploads with 80,000 tonnes of Australian wheat, claiming it's contaminated with karnal bunt, a fungus. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2004 | Ban NZ apples, says grower
Gippsland apple growers Brad and Glynn Fankhauser say they've been let down by Biosecurity Australia's latest draft report for the importation of New Zealand apples. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2004 | Warning on pigs
Gunbower pig farmer Aeger Kingma says the pork industry has been sold out by Biosecurity Australia on its pigmeat decision. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2004 | Australian tawny port set for EU
Australian tawny port and vintage wine will be sold in the European Union with their labels unchanged under new EU rules. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2004 | Stockman invents 'Akubra' helmet
A stockman, Hayden Bostock of King Island, has invented an Akubra-style hard hat, with the help of partner Laurie Toovey. ...... FULL STORY
25 Feb 2004 | New packs seal SPC Ardmona growth
Shepparton-based fruit and vegetable processor SPC Ardmona has emerged from the drought relatively unscathed, reporting an 8.2 per cent net profit lift for the 2003 calendar year to $26.3 million. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2004 | Wool at risk in feral cat plague
Tasmania's wool-growing industry is under threat from toxoplasmosis, which is being spread by feral cats. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2004 | Sugar farmers call for new options
Australian Cane Farmers Association chairman Ross Walker says farmers must move on now that sugar is not part of the free trade agreement with the US. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2004 | GM food crops to be planted in weeks
The NSW Government's expert council has decided there is no reason not to go ahead with the planting of thousands of hectares of genetically modified canola in the state. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2004 | Beef demand, prices to surge
Meat and Livestock Australia sees a bright future for the nation's beef industry, as higher demand and prices offset the rising $AUD. ...... FULL STORY
24 Feb 2004 | Dairy industry dries up
Victoria's dairy industry continues to be hit by the drought, which has cost the state more than $2 billion. ...... FULL STORY
23 Feb 2004 | Toxic dump rally
Hundreds of angry farmers, surrounded by sheep dogs and utes, from three proposed toxic dump site areas in Victoria will protest at Parliament House on Thursday March 4 at 12.30pm. ...... FULL STORY
23 Feb 2004 | Farm youth crisis
The farming sector is suffering from a chronic shortage of young people, with the number of farmers in their 20s dropping more than 60 per cent between 1976 and 2001. ...... FULL STORY
23 Feb 2004 | NSW shires form alliance to avoid merger
The NSW Local Government Minister, Tony Kelly, has given the go-ahead for Armidale-Dumaresq, Uralla, Walcha and Guyra councils to run a two-year trial of sharing administration while maintaining autonomy. ...... FULL STORY
23 Feb 2004 | Rural GPs shut out new patients
Doctor shortages in four Victorian regional centres are forcing GPs to close their books to new patients. ...... FULL STORY
23 Feb 2004 | Agriculture emissions findings 'flawed': NFF
The National Farmers' Federation, in a submission to a Senate inquiry, says the Kyoto Protocol is flawed. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2004 | Hopes high for cotton turnaround
Strong demand and good rain are underpinning hopes of a turnaround in the cotton market, which has fallen $70/bale over the past three weeks. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2004 | NSW cattle can't stand the heat
A record run of hot temperatures in NSW, combined with high humidity levels, have killed about 500 cattle in feedlots over the past 10 days. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2004 | Going against the grain
The NSW Government may be poised to give the go-ahead to Australia's first genetically modified food crop. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2004 | Bans on foreign foods to be lifted
Biosecurity Australia issued three rulings yesterday which overturn import bans that have been in place for decades. ...... FULL STORY
20 Feb 2004 | Bigger beef quota only for hamburgers
Australia's entitlement to export more beef to the US under the free trade agreement will only apply to relatively low-value beef products, a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official said yesterday. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2004 | FTA no help to horticulture's Asian dealings
Horticultural exporters don't share their peak body's enthusiasm for Australia's free trade agreement with the US. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2004 | Wine body folds
The Winegrape Growers' Council, the peak organisation representing Australia's wine grape growers, has gone into voluntary administration. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2004 | Brazil gives cane farmers ethanol hope
Brazil is set to produce ethanol in Queensland to provide fuel for the Asian market. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2004 | Rice farmers set to come a cropper
Australian farmers understand the language of agricultural trade: it's in US dollars, and every time the $AUD strengthens against the $US, farmers feel it in their hip pockets. ...... FULL STORY
19 Feb 2004 | Coal costs hit dairy co-op hard
The closure of Victoria's only briquette manufacturing factory has hit Murray Goulburn hard, costing the co-op hundreds of thousands of dollars a month. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2004 | VFF petition to oppose toxic dump
The Victorian Farmers' Federation, together with the communities of Violet Town, Skipton and Ouyen, is circulating a petition opposing the proposed placing of a toxic waste site on agricultural land. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2004 | Feral pig move welcomed
Federal Parliament has supported a move for a national approach to the feral pig problem, with a resolution being passed this week in the House of Representatives. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2004 | Wheat tipped to fall $20/t
AWB Ltd has released its first estimated price range for the next harvest's wheat, with prices down by over $20 a tonne on the current 2003-2004 pool price for Australian Premium Wheat of $224. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2004 | Qld acquires a taste for wine
Queensland's government is becoming so serious about the state's wine industry that it has appointed Australia's first wine minister. ...... FULL STORY
18 Feb 2004 | Only a small FTA prize for dairy
Australia's dairy farmers will have to wait to see the details of the free trade agreement with the US until they can determine if the reality matches the promises. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2004 | WCBF shareholders back ASX listing plan
A majority of shareholders in Warrnambool Cheese and Butter Factory voted yesterday to list the company on the Australian Stock Exchange. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2004 | Farmers accused of letting rights rot
State Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg has attacked the Queensland Farmers' Federation, labelling it "completely gutless" for not taking on the Labor Government's erosion of farmer rights. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2004 | Beattie looks to Howard for sugar hit
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has called for a stronger financial commitment from the Federal Government to the state's canegrowers after they were left out of the US-Australia FTA. ...... FULL STORY
17 Feb 2004 | Drought cost $1.3 billion
The federal Agriculture Department's drought taskforce has told a Senate estimates committee that drought assistance is likely to cost taxpayers at least $1.3 billion, and the total is expected to rise. ...... FULL STORY
16 Feb 2004 | Beef recovery under threat
Meat and Livestock Australia says that the rising Australian dollar - now worth US78 cents - and concerns about disease are undermining the beef industry's recovery from the drought. ...... FULL STORY
16 Feb 2004 | Merger that goes with the grain
Barley marketer ABB Grain and grain handler AusBulk confirmed yesterday that they have entered merger talks that could create a $700 million agribusiness. ...... FULL STORY
16 Feb 2004 | NSW piggeries quarantined
The NSW Department of Agriculture has confirmed the quarantine of two piggeries with newborn piglets suffering from porcine myocarditis (PMC). ...... FULL STORY
16 Feb 2004 | Vaile flags another rise in sugar levy
Trade Minister Mark Vaile has signalled a rise in the retail sugar levy to fund a third assistance package for cane growers in five years. ...... FULL STORY
16 Feb 2004 | Taking sides on GM
Bayer and Monsanto are seeking approval to run a "co-existence" canola trial in southern NSW this year. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2004 | Bird flu alert justifies tough stand on quarantine
The Asian avian flu crisis has proved that Australia was right to demand strict adherence to its quarantine rules ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2004 | Sugar mills jobs at risk as US trade deal hurts
Queensland sugar producers, millers and growers are signalling that the sector could deteriorate dramatically within three years. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2004 | Beattie must restore rural confidence: Agforce
Agforce president Larry Acton believes Premier Beattie has a big task head of him to win back the confidence of rural and regional Queensland. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2004 | Livestock slaughter rates lift in Dec quarter: ABS
Australian livestock slaughter rates increased in the December 2003 quarter, the first rise in a year. ...... FULL STORY
13 Feb 2004 | Vaile admits FTA shortcomings
Trade Minister Mark Vaile has admitted that the Government may have oversold the benefits of a free trade deal with the US to Australian farmers. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2004 | Sugar's wish list
The Prime Minister and several Coalition MPs held urgent talks last night over a rescue package for the sugar industry. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2004 | Makers and MPs want wine tax cut
Coalition backbenchers are urging the Australian Government to give small and medium-sized winemakers a tax cut of up to $100 million. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2004 | Free Trade Agreement on agriculture 'a misnomer'
Queensland rural lobby group AgForce says Australia's Free Trade Agreement with the US in relation to agriculture is "a misnomer". ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2004 | Bird flu boost for eggs
Several agricultural businesses, especially the egg industry, may see a boost in exports due to the avian flu crisis in South-East Asia. ...... FULL STORY
12 Feb 2004 | Dollar gains hit live-ex
The value of live exports fell 18 per cent last year due to the rising $AUD, which stifled demand from major beef cattle markets, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2004 | Privateers take on ShearExpress
Australian Wool Innovation has dissolved the ShearExpress partnership, selling its 70 per cent stake to minority shareholder Wool Harvesters. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2004 | Dairy industry seeks crisis answers
Victoria's dairy co-operatives have vowed to band together to improve returns to dairy farmers. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2004 | Pig disease plan canned
Australian Pork Ltd has criticised Biosecurity Australia for its plans to relax quarantine bans on imported pig meat. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2004 | Free-range chooks off the shelves
Fear over avian flu has seen free-range chickens disappear from Australian supermarket shelves as supplies run out. ...... FULL STORY
11 Feb 2004 | Rural train services next to go off the rails
The train driver crisis in New South Wales is set to hit country rail customers. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2004 | Deal to produce $160m for farmers
Australian farmers could benefit by an extra $130-$160 million from the free trade agreement with the US in its first year, despite the Federal Government's failure to gain a better deal for sugar and beef producers. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2004 | Farmer numbers 'could collapse'
Farmer numbers could plunge by up to 50 per cent over the next 30 years as fewer people enter the industry and those now in it retire, says the Australian Bureau of Statistics. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2004 | AWB reports record wheat crop
AWB Ltd expects a record 2003-2004 harvest of 25 million tonnes; receivals are at about 19 million tonnes but late deliveries are expected. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2004 | Insect plague warning for farmers
After surviving Australia's worst drought in 100 years, farmers are now having to contend with a new menace - plagues of insects. ...... FULL STORY
10 Feb 2004 | PM caned for cutting sugar adrift
Prime Minister John Howard has defended his government's signing of the free trade agreement with the US, even though he had previously said there would be no deal without full access for sugar. ...... FULL STORY
9 Feb 2004 | Former prison boss to guide TFGA
Greg Bradfield, 38, is the new chief executive officer of the Tasmanian Farmers' and Graziers' Association ...... FULL STORY
9 Feb 2004 | Fight to keep live exports
The Victorian Farmers' Federation's livestock president will lobby against the potential suspension of live exports from Portland tomorrow by highlighting improvements in animal welfare. ...... FULL STORY
9 Feb 2004 | Sugar issue just too sticky: Vaile
Australia has signed a free trade agreement with the US that delivers to the broad Australian economy even if it doesn't win access for sugar, according to Trade Minister Mark Vaile. ...... FULL STORY
9 Feb 2004 | Milk sours but cow of a race keeps town on track
There are fewer dairy cow herds now around Mount Compass in South Australia, as prices have fallen and dairy farmers sold up, but the cow still provides a financial backbone to the community. ...... FULL STORY
9 Feb 2004 | Cheesemaker picks up $15,000 award
Cheesemaker Diane Rae has been awarded $15,000 by the Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2004 | PM warns trade deal in the balance
The Prime Minister said yesterday negotiations on the proposed free trade agreement between Australia and the US are "difficult" and are now at "the very pointy end". ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2004 | Rising dollar wreaks havoc on farms
The latest National Farmers' Federation-Westpac index shows the January rise in the $AUD to US76 cents mark has hurt farmers and the dollar's strong rise since last year has been devastating. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2004 | Labor will win but lose votes in Qld bush, polls show
Opinion polls show that Labor will be returned to government in the Queensland state election but the party will lose votes in the bush. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2004 | Work begins on bird flu vaccine
CSIRO Livestock Industries and animal health company Imugene Ltd have begun research to develop a vaccine for chickens at risk of contracting the virulent H5N1 strain of avian influenza now wreaking havoc in Asia. ...... FULL STORY
6 Feb 2004 | Elders Bank upbeat
Elders Rural Bank has reported a 17 per cent increase in net profit, driven by good grain crops in South Australia and Western Australia. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2004 | Producers to wear Cormo costs
North Queensland beef producers will be passed a $1.50/head levy imposed on the live export industry by the Federal Government. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2004 | Poultry producers on red alert
Australia's poultry producers are being urged to look out for any signs in their birds that the deadly avian flu virus may have entered the country. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2004 | Rural exports surge $101m
Australia's agriculture exports rose 6 per cent, or $101 million, in seasonally adjusted terms in December 2003. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2004 | Bush urged to save trade deal
US manufacturers have called on President Bush to override the powerful agriculture lobby and sign the free trade agreement with Australia despite US farmers' opposition. ...... FULL STORY
5 Feb 2004 | Qld sugar farmers to protest
Sugar farmers will protest against Queensland Premier Beattie's sugar industry reforms today. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2004 | Trade talk sweetens with sugar on table
A free trade agreement between Australia and the US is expected to be sealed by the end of this week, after the US agreed to renew negotiations on access to its sugar market. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2004 | Drought stress a threat to families
A new Charles Sturt University study concludes that the drought has created serious social problems which will require new policies. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2004 | Safeway's berry label rejected
Victorian berry growers have rejected a Safeway move to enforce the use of its labels on packaging. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2004 | Irrigator loan plan
The ANZ Bank and Pratt Water will offer cash-strapped farmers $100 million in assistance over 10 years to upgrade their irrigation systems. ...... FULL STORY
4 Feb 2004 | Olive growers face new R&D levy
The Australian Olive Association says growers must consider a proposed levy to fund R&D projects and marketing initiatives. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2004 | Crop damage set to cost Tassie farmers millions
Tasmanian farmers are facing millions of dollars' worth of damage to crops after record rainfall and floods hit the state. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2004 | PM warns US again: no FTA without agriculture
Prime Minister John Howard has again warned the US that there will be no free trade agreement unless Australian farmers are granted access to American markets. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2004 | Vic Govt 'too slow' on bush dentistry
The head of Melbourne University's dentistry school has criticised the Victorian Government for being too slow to act on a plan to relieve the dentist shortage in country areas. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2004 | Crackdown on ships' bird imports
Australian Quarantine and Customs officers will start destroying or seizing all poultry and eggs on Asian ships from tomorrow. ...... FULL STORY
3 Feb 2004 | Farms get hard-headed on safety
The death of a 23-year-old jackaroo in 2001, whose case has been brought before the NSW Industrial Relations Commission, could result in hard hats replacing the traditional Akubra worn by stockmen and farmers. ...... FULL STORY
2 Feb 2004 | Sugar hard for US to swallow
Senior US agriculture officials have been brought into the free trade agreement talks with Australia's Trade Minister, Mark Vaile. ...... FULL STORY
2 Feb 2004 | OJD class action withdrawn
The class action filed by the Victorian Ovine Johne's Disease Action group has been abandoned. ...... FULL STORY
2 Feb 2004 | Casual farm jobs at risk
The federal Labor Party has announced a policy to provide holiday and sick leave entitlements to permanent casual workers. ...... FULL STORY
2 Feb 2004 | Thousands of jobs lost in drought
new Queensland Farmers' Federation survey has revealed that more than half of the businesses in the dairy, pork and cotton industries have had to lay off workers due to the drought. ...... FULL STORY
2 Feb 2004 | Overseas dentists to meet rural demand
Australia's health ministers have decided to allow dentists from South Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore to practise here to ease waiting lists in rural public clinics. ...... FULL STORY
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